


Unexpected Expecto

by HufflepuffCariad



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: M/M, Patronuses, Scorbus, cccompliant, fatherandson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 04:33:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14730008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HufflepuffCariad/pseuds/HufflepuffCariad
Summary: Harry teaches Albus to cast a patronus. Albus accidentally comes out to his Dad.





	Unexpected Expecto

‘Morning’, called Harry as Albus stomped down the stairs in his dressing gown. Albus grunted in return.  
‘ I made pancakes!’

Albus looked marginally less grumpy as he flopped down at the dining table next to Harry.

‘Where is everyone?’ Albus looked around at their empty kitchen, and glanced suspiciously at the untouched plate of pancakes.

‘James has gone to play Quidditch with Lucas Jordan and Mum’s taken Lily to Diagonal Alley. Just you and me!’

Albus didn’t look too cheered by that thought.

‘We can do something too if you like? We could go to Quality Quidditch supplies? Mum said you’re thinking of trying out for the team this year?’  
‘ Mum’s wrong’ said Albus shortly.

‘Er ok. But you should you know, I’ve seen you fly...’ he broke off at Albus’s scowl. ‘Well ok, never mind, just a thought. I have been meaning to talk to you though.  
‘ I got an owl from Professor McGonagall yesterday, asking me if I would come back and do my guest lecture to the sixth year again this year. On patronuses. Erm... how would you feel about that Albus?’

Albus scowled again. ‘About the fact that I’m going to be the only sixth year who can’t cast a patronus?’

‘No, about me coming to guest lecture..’. Harry looked concernedly at his son.’ But you won’t be the only one who can’t cast a patronus. Why are you worried about that? Firstly, plenty of people won’t be able to, and secondly. DADA is your best subject, you got an O! Of course you’ll be able to!’

Albus made a non-committal noise. ‘Yeah but I couldn’t cast one last time could I?’

Although strictly underage wizards were not allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts, James had begged Harry to help him get ahead and teach him a patronus in the holidays. Harry, always worried about his family’s safety, had mentally put aside his job as head of magical law enforcement and given in, attempting to teach all three of his children. Whilst James had managed it with a bit of effort, Lily with a bit more, Albus had never pulled it off, and stopped practising quite quickly. He should have worried more about that at the time, he reflected. But Albus was always opting out of family things, he’d put it down to typical teenage surliness… 

‘Ah you gave up too quickly, that’s all, and you were only fourteen, not many people could cast one when they were fourteen. That’s why we don’t teach it until sixth year.’

‘You could. And Lily can.’

‘Lily didn’t stop until she could, that’s the only difference. And I had a great teacher. Teddy’s dad.’

An idea came to him.

‘Tell you what, why don’t we work on it today? You can have another go, and then you can tell me what you feel about me coming in to teach a lesson. It’ll be easier without your brother and sister there to watch.’

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

‘Ok now, one more time. Really concentrate. Your happiest memory. Let it flood you, fill you up, until you can’t think of anything else.’

Albus screwed up his face in concentration.

‘Yes! That’s it!’

Albus groaned in frustration. ‘But it’s only a wisp! I can’t make a Corp- corporal’

‘Corporeal. But you’re getting there! It’s getting stronger each time. But if you’re worried, choose a different memory. A stronger one. What makes you the happiest, fills you with joy?’

‘Scorpious,’ Albus thought. His geeky smile when he discovered an interesting fact in the latest book he was reading. The sweat on his brow when leaning over a cauldron, and how his eyes shone when he created the potion successfully. The way he sang ‘Al-bus,’ when he said hello. ‘Two points’, thought Albus grinning.

‘Great, now immerse yourself in it’, shouted Harry. ‘What can you hear? What can you smell?’

Old books, potion smoke, and his woody aftershave, thought Albus, unable to keep the grin off his face.

‘Expecto patronum!’

His grin increased as a shape began to form from the mist.

‘Albus! You did it!’ shouted Harry.

But Albus’s grin quickly turned to horror as he saw the form his patronus took.

Of course it was. It had to be.

He wanted the floor to swallow him up. Albus was mortified. This wasn’t the way he’d expected to come out to his dad. His scorpion flickered and died.

‘Great job!’ exclaimed Harry, clapping him in the back. ‘I knew you could do it!’

‘Did-did you see what’... Albus didn’t dare to look at him.

‘Yeah.’ He smiled gently. ‘Are you two..?’

‘No!’ Albus buried his face in his hands.

‘Why not?’ Harry joked.

‘Because he doesn’t...feel the same. He made that very clear. I’m not his type and he doesn’t find me remotely attractive.’

Harry frowned. That didn’t sound like Scorpious. If he knew nothing else about him, he knew that that boy was kind. And it didn’t sound like a kind way to let his friend down. Unless... a memory suddenly came to him of Ron, vehemently denying he felt anything towards Hermione. He struggled to suppress a smile.

‘Have you told him how you feel? Because...’

Albus turned an even brighter shade of red. ‘Didn’t you listen? He doesn’t fancy me. So I wasn’t going to ever tell him, if all I get is to be his friend that has to be enough, but I didn’t want to lose that!’

‘But now the whole of sixth year, probably the whole school, knowing how fast stuff spreads around Hogwarts, will know, and he’ll never speak to me again!’’ He slumped to the floor.

Harry sat down beside him.’ If I know Scorpious, and he has spent most of his summer here, so I’ve gotten to know him pretty well, I know he cares about you. Even if he doesn’t like you in that way, he cares about you, so he won’t reject you. He values your friendship, I’m sure of it.’

‘But we have to share a dorm! What if he’s creeped out, and asks to change, or...’

‘I was friends with your mum for years, knowing she fancied me, and it didn’t stop me being friends with her.’ He puffed out his chest a little, proudly. ‘Mainly because I was too much of an idiot to see her for what she was. And then I did, and I was terrified of asking her out, cause I didn’t want to lose her friendship, or Uncle Ron’s. Imagine if I hadn’t?’

‘Yeah I wouldn’t be alive. Sounds quite positive at this point.’ Albus grunted.

‘Albus, don’t ever say that! I’m so proud of you, and whatever I said before, I’m really glad you’re my son. And I know Scorpious is glad you’re his friend.’

‘Thanks Dad’. said Albus gruffly. He paused. ‘You haven’t even commented on the fact that I’m... you know…’

‘Gay? Or bisexual?’

‘Gay.’ Albus confirmed.’ Delphi was... well I liked the fact she treated me like I was important, you know? But she was manipulating me the whole time so.... maybe she put me off girls.’ He allowed himself a small grin.

‘Well she’s not the girl I would have chosen you to fall for, certainly’, Harry allowed. ‘But on the... gay thing. Why would I comment? What does it matter? Who you fall in love with is up to you. Well, Voldemort’s daughter aside. I might have objected to that match.’ He smiled.

‘But Scorpious is wonderful. He’s even made me think differently about his father, which is not something I ever thought could happen.’

‘So you’d be ok with me dating a Malfoy? Not that.. ‘ Albus’s face fell again.

‘Yes. I would. Because all I care about, all I ever cared about is your happiness. And the fact that you couldn’t cast a patronus before should have told me that I wasn’t doing much of a good job before, and I’m really sorry I didn’t stop to wonder why. But I’m glad you found something that’s making you happy now.’

‘Yeah I have’. Albus smiled shyly.

‘But how do I avoid showing him my patronus? Can patrouses change?’ he asked hopefully.

‘They can...’ said Harry slowly. But the only person I’ve ever seen it happen to was Teddy’s mum, when she fell in love with his dad.’

‘Great!’ said Albus letting his head fall back against the wall.

‘So all I have to do is fall in love with someone else, and that’s never going to happen.’

Harry suppressed a smile. He remembered that feeling. Still felt it really. Like there was no one else in the world. And never could be.

He thought of telling Albus that most people didn’t end up with their first partner, that they moved on, found someone else. If he had ended up with Cho Chang! Perish the thought. Or Ron with Lavender Brown!

But he sensed that this was different. Albus and Scorpious... they just seemed to fit. They were good for each other. Albus was certainly happier when Scorpious was around, and Scorpious balanced out Albus’s more hot headed tendencies. In return, Albus helped Scorpious relax, worry less. No, he had the feeling that this was something bigger than first love. Something more lasting. And he knew that if he pushed too hard now, he could ruin everything. He proceeded cautiously.

‘Look...not that I’m encouraging you to cut class. But you could always skip that one if you like. Especially now we know you can do it. The teachers have known for years how to deal with most of the get out of class products from Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, but I think Ron has some new stuff he’s working on. I bet he’d give you an early sample. But don’t tell mum I suggested it! And just this one!’ He gave Albus a conspiratorial smile.

Albus smiled back. ‘I won’t.’

‘I do think you should talk to Scorpious though. I think he’d understand....I wish I’d told your mum sooner.’

Albus closed his eyes again.’Hmmmph. We’ll see.’ Privately, he thought he would take this to the grave.  
‘Please don’t tell him. Or anyone else. Well you can tell Mum I suppose, And I think Rose might know, she makes these comments sometimes…’  
Harry grinned. ‘Well that makes sense. Hermione knew well before I did that I fancied your mum. Clever, those Granger girls.’  
Harry paused. But of course I won’t. And ‘I’m glad you told me. I know it can’t have been easy.’  
‘I didn’t have much choice did I! If I’d known…’  
‘Well I’m glad I saw it then. I know I haven’t been the best Dad to you, but I’m really trying to be better. To be there for you. To see you. Because you are different. But in a good way. A great way. I really am proud of you.’

Albus opened his eyes to look at Harry, and then rolled them at him. ‘Alright, enough with the soppy stuff. But you know Dad, much as I’m loathe to admit it, this afternoon has not been so bad after all.’

Harry gave himself a mental high five.


End file.
